Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Smolyan

For one person, living is cheaper in Smolyan: $724 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Smolyan
Learn more

Smolyan Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Smolyan

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Smolyan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Smolyan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $724 in Smolyan.

Austin, TX $2,698
Smolyan $724

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,158 in Smolyan.

Austin, TX $4,160
Smolyan $1,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,591 in Smolyan.

Austin, TX $5,622
Smolyan $1,591

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 273% more expensive than in Smolyan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Smolyan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$6.43 BGN 11.19

220.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$37.31 BGN 64.9

126.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$5.72 BGN 9.95

111.01%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.29 BGN 2.25

324.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$0.98 BGN 1.71

287.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.69 BGN 1.20

257.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.74 BGN 3.04

362.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.11 BGN 3.67

320.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.69 BGN 2.93

-34.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.95 BGN 1.66

291.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.70 BGN 2.96

98.24%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.26 BGN 5.67

32.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.12 BGN 17.60

29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$5.73 BGN 9.96

146.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.47 BGN 14.73

92.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.16 BGN 2.02

292.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.17 BGN 2.04

302.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.33 BGN 4.05

78.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.15 BGN 2.01

124.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.42 BGN 2.47

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.92 BGN 1.60

92.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.54 BGN 0.94

296.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.44 BGN 5.98

193.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$5.56 BGN 9.68

173.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.55 BGN 0.96

412.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.70 BGN 2.95

102.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.95 BGN 1.65

62.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$32.88 BGN 57.2

24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.29 BGN 2.25

117.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.59 BGN 1.02

171.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$12.04 BGN 20.95

185.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 BGN 2.69

-39.35%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$23.0K BGN 40.1K

47.60%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.7K BGN 39.5K

18.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$103 BGN 179

115.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$14.48 BGN 25.20

306.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$9.12 BGN 15.86

674.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$21.89 BGN 38.10

163.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$16.77 BGN 29.18

-1.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$7.54 BGN 13.12

89.12%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$232 BGN 403

551.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$5,911 BGN 10.3K

253.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$28.35 BGN 49.33

80.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$21.15 BGN 36.79

108.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$59.2 BGN 103

47.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$63.1 BGN 110

65.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$201 BGN 349

866.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$141 BGN 246

830.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$290 BGN 504

1163.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$244 BGN 424

953.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,342 BGN 2,335

448.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,059 BGN 1,843

195.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$670 BGN 1,165

689.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.25

108.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Smolyan

$141 19.5% 89.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Smolyan

$197 27.2% 51.6% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Smolyan

$127 17.5% 64% $225

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Smolyan

$104 14.3% 70.4% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Smolyan

$77 10.7% 40.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Smolyan

$37 5.1% 57.1% $49

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Smolyan

$41 5.7% 29.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $201 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 690% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $37.00 in Smolyan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $197 per month, with Smolyan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇬 Smolyan

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

23:36 11:36 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

30,507

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

BGN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Smolyan 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Smolyan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smolyan wins on cost – living expenses run 273% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Smolyan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 690% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $201 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $724 in Smolyan – a 273% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Smolyan runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $724 in Smolyan versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Smolyan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Smolyan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Smolyan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Smolyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 273% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.